Page 51 of Don't Fall in Love (and how to break the rules)

Rae raised their glass and repeated the words.

“I feel like I’m missing a party,” came a voice from a few metres away.

“Clodagh,” said Rae, beaming their own smile of love – or possibly lust.

“Babe, you’re totally pissed, I love it. You’ve never drunk texted me before, so I had to see this for myself,” said Clodagh, taking in the others at the table before carefully sitting down. She paused, then politely put out her hand to Chrissie. “I don’t think we got a proper chance to meet last time. I’m Clodagh. Rae’s paramour.”

Chrissie breathed out in relief. “Nice to meet you. I’m Chrissie.” Clodagh nodded, smiled and was then introduced to Nisha by Rae.

“Now, I think it needs saying,” said Clodagh, “but we’re going to need more Prosecco if I’m to add any value to this little gathering. I’ll be right back,” she added, strolling over to the bar.

“You ok?” Rae asked. Chrissie was impressed they’d remembered the awkwardness from earlier, given how drunk they appeared to be.

“Yes, of course,” said Chrissie. “Areyouok? It would seem you’ve been drunk texting your ‘paramour’!” They laughed, clinked their glasses, and waited for Clodagh to return.

Later that evening, Nisha and Chrissie walked back to Chrissie’s place arm in arm. “That was fun,” said Nisha.

“It really was,” agreed Chrissie. “It was like being on a sort of double date.”

“How very rom com,” said Nisha, deadpan.

“Do you mind that people know we’re together?” asked Chrissie, emboldened by the bubbly.

“Do I mind?” said Nisha, pausing by a traffic light. “I bloody love it. I wish I could tell everyone that I am with Chrissie Anderson,” she added, her voice rising in volume with every word.

Chrissie giggled. “Shhh.”

“Well, what about you? Do you mind people know we’re together?” asked Nisha, who had begun to walk forward again.

“It depends,” said Chrissie.

“On what?”

“Well, it depends on whether this is just sex for you, whether it’s a fling and soon you’ll leave and find someone else – someone better. Or whether it’s a meaningful thing, a relationship. Whether you might want to be my girlfriend, one day, not now, obviously,” said Chrissie, aware that she was beginning to ramble.

“Whoa,” said Nisha, stopping once again on the pathway. “Hang on there. Do you really think this is just sex? Is that what it is for you?”

“No, of course not. It’s just, well, I don’t know what the next step looks like for you. We never got past this point last time,” said Chrissie.

Nisha looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yes, I guess that makes sense. Ok,” she said, “let’s get into the warm of your place and I will explain to you exactly what this is, at least from my perspective.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

Nisha sat on Chrissie’s bed fresh from the shower, a towel wrapped around her. “Thanks for this,” she said. “I was far too muddy for public consumption. Well, for your consumption.”

Chrissie giggled. “Ok, come on then, explain ‘what we are’.” She’d changed into her pyjamas while Nisha had been showering, and was admiring her companion’s bare shoulders.

“Well, I mean, I don’t have all the answers. You’re just as much a part of this as I am. But I can tell you that for me, this means something,” said Nisha, a drop of water falling from her tousled hair onto her chest. Chrissie put out a finger to gently wipe it away. “You mean a lot to me. And I wouldn’t be doing any of this if I didn’t think we had some kind of meaningful future.”

“Really?” said Chrissie, shocked by how precisely Nisha was saying exactly the words she wanted to hear. She wondered how far she should question this. But then, she’d questioned being with Nisha so much, for so long, perhaps it was time to stop.

“Really,” replied Nisha. “We’re too old to play around. You are funny and kind and thoughtful and slightly flighty, but I love you for it.”

“You what?” said Chrissie in a whisper.

Nisha’s face reddened. Then she looked directly at Chrissie and took her hand. “I love you, Chrissie.”

Chrissie could feel tears begin to well up, and swallowed hard. “You love me,” she repeated.

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